Waiting on the Lord

First of all, I have to tell you that some of these words came from someone else, I can't honestly take credit for them.

I found a great book a few weeks ago, one of those books you finish reading and want to immediately start over again. I found it at Macey's, it's published by Deseret Book, so I'm sure you can find it there. And you should too.

I Hate It When Exercise Is the Answer: A Fitness Program for the Soul
By: Emily Watts

I've heard her speak and have bought several of her books for my mom and sister, this is the first I've bought for myself. It won't be the last.

In a chapter 25 called "Wisdom from Gracie: An Exercise in Waiting on the Lord" the author tells of finding a postcard with this saying attributed to Gracie Allen: "Never put a period where God has placed a comma."

"Never put a period where God has placed a comma." It had immediate appeal for me as a person for whom punctuation has been a profession, but its meaning has since gone far beyond the 'editing connection.'

I like closure. I like to put the period on the sentence of a situation and move on. But life doesn't work that way very often. The Lord frequently invites us to trust Him, to hold on, to endure, to wait and see what He has in mind. As Psalm 27:14 tells us, 'Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.'

One of my problems is that, when my patience is tried, sometimes I attempt to jump too quickly to the hindsight. I trust that things will work out all right, and I can wait a little while for events to unfold, but often I try to put the period in places that were obviously meant for a comma. I think I see God's purposes when really we're not there yet."

Patience and waiting on the Lord are difficult for my finite mind to grasp, even more difficult to execute. And the concept of periods vs. commas becomes increasingly ironic to me when literal periods continue to dash my hopes of ever making it beyond the never ending comma of infertility.

(I swear this post started out as a positive idea... where did I get off track?)

Sigh... how to get back on track?

I've been trying to decide what my life would be like if I could remind myself that "...this too shall pass." So I am trying to be patient, because I'm certain that's one of the attributes my Father in Heaven is trying desperately to teach me. The idea is much simpler than the execution.

Has it really been 2 years?

Tomorrow Heavenly and I are going to see my friend who is finally home from his mission. I can't believe how fast time flies! I guess since Heavenly and I just celebrated our 2nd anniversary I should have realized it was coming soon. After all, he came to our sealing just before he left.
Kyle, Chad and Jake had a surprise gift for me, and even got Heavenly in on the action. Kyle and Chad played and they all sang "Dream" by The Everly Brothers. The only time I teared up the entire day.

Kyle also sat at the guest book at our reception.

I still remember being nearly as excited for him to be there as I was that I was getting married. Ours was the first sealing he'd ever been to and he was so excited to be in the temple that day.

Thank heaven for wonderful friends!

(Yes I understand how pathetic it is that I've written about my friend coming home from his mission before I've done anything about my anniversary... such is life.)

Pirate Cake

Here are a few pictures of the pirate cake I made this weekend for my friend/coworker. (Sorry for the one that's sideways) It was for his daughters' birthdays who are big fans of Pirates of the Caribbean. I think it turned out pretty snazzy.

Belly badge light!

Saturday morning Heavenly and I were watching cartoons with my nephew Coco. I was excited when Heavenly told me They were watching Care Bears. I'll admit they don't look the same, graphics have come so far and yet, new Care Bears look much less like bears. Is it a difference in graphics, or could it be that cartoonists now are much more concerned about the quantity of work they produce to trifle with quality?

Aside from my annoyance at the lack of detail put into the new age excuse for Care Bears, I had a much bigger problem. Instead of the classic and irreplaceable "Care Bear Stare!" they work together by saying "belly badge light!" and I'm thinking, what's up with that? Who is it that grew up wanting to be a cartoonist, inspired by the classics, and thought it would be a good idea to ruin every cartoon I hold dear? Who does that?

At least the REAL shows are coming to DVD so I can enjoy them in all their vintage splendor.

Everybody's workin' for the weekend!

Today is my Thursday, tomorrow is my Friday. It's not that I don't like my job, I love it, most of the time. I'm just really excited for my weekend. I have no plans. None. And that makes me really happy. Maybe I'll get some cleaning done, maybe I'll get more unpacking and organizing done. Or maybe I'll just hang out and do nothing. That sounds delightful!

A stellar performance!

Last night (or should I say early this morning) I watched the Perseid meteor shower with my mom, my husband and my niece and nephews. (Even my dad woke up for the last of our intergalactic viewing) When it didn't start until midnight I wondered whether the kiddos would even make it. They were excited by the prospect of seeing a meteor shower and completely undaunted at the task of staying up several hours past their bedtime! We went outside just before midnight and saw beams of light streak through the sky almost immediately.

I don't know if I'll ever be more entertained watching a meteor shower again, that's the benefit of such adorable company! Each of the kids watched in their own way.

Coco(2) made it until just before midnight when he fell asleep listening to "Strawberry Shortcake and the Deep Dark Woods" for the third time in a day. He spent the time asleep with Grandpa on his bed. I don't think a meteor shower would have been very impressive to a 2 year old.

Mashuga(6) and I started by laying on top of the patio table with the others gathered around on comfy patio chairs. Then soon found ourselves cuddled up together on blankets spread across the cool summer grass. Mashuga (6) was so excited he could hardly contain himself (which is how he is about everything that excites him!) and he saw meteors that were naked to the un-six-year-old eye. Aside from the meteors the rest of us saw, he pointed randomly this way and that as balls of fire dashed across the sky of his own imagination. He talked animatedly and his plethora of "What ifs..." about whether the meteors were really UFOs or what we would do if those same UFOs landed inches above Grandma's house could be heard throughout the entire show. (And perhaps throughout the neighborhood too.) Mashuga was the only one who made it as long as the adults and I think he made it on sheer willpower. He spun circles on the patio table trying to see in every direction so he wouldn't miss a meteor. He would sit still only so long before zooming across the yard for "pretend fights" with the solar light that was still alight.

Scud(8) made it a few minutes before heading back into the house to veg in front of the TV some more. Then he moaned and groaned when Grandma made him come outside with everyone else. His protests continued as he laid on the grass, wrapped like a burrito in his favorite blanket. "This is boring... I'm bored... I want to watch TV!" We all made it perfectly clear that his only other option was to go inside and go to bed so he stayed begrudgingly. When his cries of boredom could no longer be heard I checked and found him fast asleep. I think he enjoyed the meteors he did see, but the waiting was more than he could stand.

Kaitybean(11) was enthralled and thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing. She's getting so old and getting to be such good company. The in between time was no big deal for her, she watched the twinkling stars and talked happily about the sounds of the rushing August breeze as it swirled through the yard and blew the blanket over her, obstructing her views. When the first blanket became "too crowded," she brought more and invited me to share. I left Mashuga cuddling with Heavenly (and insisting he wasn't cold) and laid with Kaitybean for a different view. While we watched the sky with anticipation she talked about germs and wondered whether germs had their own germs, and what if we were really only a tiny speck to others? (The fact that I'd watched "Horton Hears a Who" with Coco earlier that day made this prospect much funnier.) I left her on the ground to resume my watching by Mom in the patio chairs and her inquiries became quieter and quieter until we realized she too was asleep on the lawn.

This particular meteor shower may happen every year, but my experience was once in a life time.

Come what may and love it!

When I do this I can see my cheeks!

I was sitting my sisters the kitchen when her 11 year old, Kaitybean, walked in and said, "When I do this I can see my cheeks!" When I turned around this is what I saw...

And then Mashuga had to do it...

and Coco...

and Scud too...

Is there any question why I love these kiddos? They make my heart happy!

My heart hurts.

Tonight as Heavenly and I walked through Target I heard a baby crying and crying and crying. The sound made my heart hurt. Bad.